Blast-furnace.



No. 655,432. A j Patented 1an. a, 190|. l' H. HAgnnH..

, BLAST FUBNCE.

' ma Model.) 3

(Applicqtion filed Ag. 2B, .1899.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

TH: Nonius PETERS cu7 Fumo-umu.. wnsmnm'on4 D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO HARDH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BLAST-FU RNAC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,432, dated January 8, 1901.

Application tiled August 28, 1899.

To M1/07710707,A it' Wally concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO HARDH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Blast-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to the improvement of blast-furnaces of that'class which are employed for the purpose of reducing 'ore or metal to a molten mass; and the objects of my invention are to provide certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of the parts of a furnace of this class, the details of which will be pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line of Fig. 1, taken through half of the furnace. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in det-ail through a portion of theV furnace-licor through two of the twyers and the air-supply tubes therefor. Fig. t is a plan view of one of the twyers. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line y y of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a detail viewin perspective of a valve-plate which I employin the manner hereinafter described.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the body of the furnace, which is in the nature of an ordinary blast-furnace, consisting of an upright receptacle formed of brick or other suitable material. As indicated in the drawings, the lower portion of the furnace-body tapers slightly, thus reducing the area of the receptacle in its lower portion. Rising through the center of the furnace from the base or lower portion thereof is a hollow vertical column 2, the latter being slightly daring at its junction with the floor of the receptacle, this floor consisting of bricks or blocks 3 of concrete, fire-clay, or other suitable material, and the floor thus formed being perforated at intervals to receive the upper portions of twyers or air-dischargingnozzles 4, the latter being preferably formed of hard burnt clay and provided with a plurality of openings which are indicated at 5 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The interior of the column 2 is provided in its lower half with a tubular Serial No. 728,665. (No model.)

. casing, which is indicated at 6, the upper end thereof being closed and the lowerflaring end thereof being open.

In its lower portion the wall of the furnacebody is provided with an annular passage or conduit 12, which through the medium of a lnarrow opening 13 communicates with the interior of the furnace. The wallof the column 2 is provided at an equal height with the passage 12 with an annular passage 14, which also communicates with the interior of said furnace. Through the medium of suitable inlets 15 the passage 14 is connected with a hollow casting or ring-partition 15, which supports the tube 11 and the bottom of which cuts off communication between the interior-of the upper portion of the casing 6` .other throughout the height of the furnacebody and extending throughout the length of said body. These passages 18 are, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 2, provided with vertical connections at suitable intervals. In the upper portion of the furnace-body I provide connections between the passages or iiues 18 and the interior of the furnace through the medium of slotted openings which are indicated at 20.

That portion of the interior of the column 2 which is `above the closed end of the casing 6 is provided at intervals with openings 2l, which also communicate with the interior of the upper portion of the furnace, and said column at its upper end is provided with a suitable outlet-pipe 22,which passes th rough a furnace top frame 23.

Beneath the furnace-body I provide a horizontal bed frame or casing which is indicated at 24, and of this frame or horizontal casing 25 represents the upper plate, and 26 the lower plate. Between these upper and lower plates is formed a plate 8, which, as shown, is pref- IOO erably inclined. Through a central valveopening 7 in the plate 8 communication is established with the lower portion or chamber of the casing 6. This valve-opening is adapted to be closed by a valve 9, which is arranged above the saine, said valve having an upwardly-extending tubular portion IO, which loosely surrounds the lower end of the tube 1I. Beneath the frame-plate bottom 26 is formed a suitable base or foundation 27, through which leads the main air-supply pipe 28, the latter discharging into the central portion of the casing 24 and beneath the Valveopening 7. The valve 9 is controlled by a valve stem 9, which extends downward through said airpipe mouth and wall, as shown, and which is adapted to be raised or lowered by suitable means from beneath the base or foundation 27.

30 represents a rin g-pipe which passes about the furnace-body l through the outer wall thereof on the outer side of the dues or passages 18, this ring-pipe heilig located in the upper portion of a vertical chamber or recess 3l, the lower side of which has communicating therewith at desirable intervals vertical air-pipes 32, the latter leading downward and discharging into suitable outlet-passages 33 in the base 27. Through the medium of downwardly-extending pipes 30n the ring-pipe 30 is connected with the wall-passage l2, and through the medium of openings 32 the passages or fines 1S are connected with the upper portion of the recess 31. 1 The ring-pipe 30 is also connected at intervals with small vertical pipes 34, which extend downwarp through the pipes 32 and which have their lower end portions turned inward and connected with the casing 24. As indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the lowerend portions of the twyers 4 are through the medium of cup-shaped couplings 35 connected with the upper ends of vertical air-tubes 36, the latter extending downward through the plate 25 and communicating with the upper ends of vertical tubular projections 37, formed on the plate 8. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, these tubular projections are arranged in radial rows. Extending through each of the air-tubes 36 37 is a vertical tubular valve-stein 38, the upper end of which carries a valve 39, which is adapted to close the valve-opening 40 in the under side of the coupling or cap 35. The valve 39 is normally held closed through the medium of a spring 41, which is interposed between a collar 42 on the tubular stem 38 and an internal bearing 43 in the tube 36. The lower end portion of the stern 38 below the plate 8 is provided with a head or collar 44, the upper side of which is flaring or conical, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 3. Passing loosely through the periphery of the frame or casing 24 at intei-vals are rods 45, each of the latter having a sliding support in suitable bearings and carrying on the inner side of said casing a tapering or partially wedge-shaped frame 4G,

which is indicated in Fig. 5. The under surface of the longer side of this frame is adapted to bear, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, upon the inclined upper surface of the valvestein heads 44. As indicated lnore clearly in Fig. 3, I aliix to the lower end of each of the stems 38 a valve cup or casing 47, which communicates with the interior of said stem and which is provided with valve-openings 48 in its lower side. Within the valve-cup 47 is contained a valve-plate 49, which through the medium of aspring 50 is normally pressed over the valve-opening 48. The valve 49, as indicated in Fig. b', has its upper surface provided with radial recesses 51.

The manner of utilizing my improved furnace is substantially as follows: The valve 9 being open or raised off its seat, the air which enters through the pipe 28 passes upward through the valve-opening 7, thence into Ithe lower portion of the casing 6, from which it passes downward into the tubular portion 10 of the valvc 9, thence upward through the internal tube l1, thence downward through the casing 6 into the hollow ring l5, from which it passes outward through the ringpassage 14 and slotted opening of the wall of the column 2 into the furnace. It is evident that the air-blast thus introduced into the lower portion of the furnace becomes exceedingly het in its passage through the various parts above mentioned. It will also be observed that the air which rises from the pipe 28 and enters the casing 24 will when the valves 39 are open pass upward through the tubular portions 37 36, thence through the valve-opening 40 and twyer-passages 5, thus subjecting the molten mass to a blast of air from beneath the same. The manner of opening the normally-closed valves 39 consists in forcing the horizontal frames 4G inward, this inward movement of said frames causing the latter to gradually move upward on the inclines of the stem-heads 44 and resulting in the latter being forced downward. In order to provide a continuous although comparatively small iiow of air through the twyers and prevent the material from running into the twyer-openings or clogging the same, I have provided the hollow valve-stems 38. It is evident that the pressure of air within the casing 24 against the under side of the valve 49 must result in normally raising the latter until its upper surface is in contact with the under side of the valve-stem. Owing to the formation of the recesses 5l in said valve, however, it will be seen that a sudden although comparatively small tlow of air is attained through the valve-stems. It will also be observed that air from the inlet-pipe 28 will pass from the casing 24 through the fines or passages 16, thence outward into the body of the furnace throu gh outlets I6, which are formed in the column-wall. In order to cool the outer walls of the furnace, particularly in the lower portion thereof, I have provided the outer-wall iiues or passages I8,

IIO

through which air from the casing 24 may also pass and escape into the upper portion of the furnace through the opening 20, thence outward through the openings 21, column 2, and outlet-pipe 22. It is also obvious that a portion of the air which rises through the valve-opening 7 may pass between the casing-plates 25 and 8, thence out through the pipes 34, and through the circular passage or pipe 30. From this latter pipe the air may pass downward through the pipes 30 into the hollow ring 12 and thence out through the slotted opening 13 into the lower portion of the furnace. It will be seen also that a portion of the cooling-air which passes through the lower portion of the flues 1S may pass outward through the openings 32a into the annular recess 3l, thence downward through the pipes 32, and out through the base-openingsf In the above manner it will be seen that hot-air blasts will be delivered into the interior of the lower portion of the furnace and that the external walls of the furnace will be cooled to a desirable extent by the air-passages formed therein.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a blast-furnace, the combinationwith the furnace-body, a central tubular column therein, a ring partition 15a in said column communicating with the interior of the furnace, a central tube 11 in said column and extending through said ring partition and a horizontal frameecasing 24 beneath the furnace-body having a valve-opening therein, of a valve adapted to close said opening and having a tubular extension which loosely receives said tube 11 'and an air-supply pipe communicating with said frame casing 24, substantially as specified.

2. In a blast-furnace, the combination with the furnace-body having air-passages in the walls thereof, a central tubular column therein also having air-passages in its wall, and a horizontal frame-casing 24 beneath the furnace-body, said frame-casing communicating with the hollow of the central column through a valve-controlled opening and the interior of said column comlnunicating with the interior of said furnace-body, of a bottom plate in said furnace, perforated twyers leading therethrough and tubular valve-controlled connections between said twyers and the interior of the casing 24 and an air-supply pipe communicating with said casing 24, substantially as specified.

3. In a blast-furnace, the combination with the furnace-body, a central tubular column therein having blast-openings communicating with the interior of the furnace, a continuous outer-wall passage 12 also communicating with the interior of said furnace, a circular pipe 30 in the outer wall of the furnace and pipes 30L connecting said pipe 30 with said passage 12, of a framecasing, a valve-controlled opening therein leading to the interior of the central column,said framecasing having a lower and upper compartment, pipes 34 connecting said upper compartment with the circular pipe 30 and a supply-pipe 28 leading into said bed -plate casing, substantially as specified.

HUGO HARDH.

In presence of- HENRY FORD, JOHN A. HARNEY. 

